Machine for applying ribbon



Oct. 14, 1969 ALEXANDROU 3,472,129

MACHINE FOB APPLYING RIBBON Filed Oct. 11, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG! y m m GEORGEA. ALEXANDROU Oct. 14, 1969 G. A. ALEXANDROU 3,472,129

MACHINE FOR APPLYING RIBBON Filed Oct. 11, 1965 I l 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I XVEf-TOR 4 GEORGE A. ALEXANDROU Oct. 14, 1969 s. A. ALEXANDRQU CHINE FOR APPLYING RIBBON 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 11, 1965 FIG9 INVENTOR.

GEORGE A. ALEXANDROIJ United States Patent 2s, 9 im. 01. 1331a 1/00; C09g 7/04 U.S. Cl. 93-1 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A machine for automatically applying adhering strips or strings to the inside flaps of envelopes to facilitate opening the same.

There are known envelopes for correspondence or any other purpose provided inside the closing flap or limb or any other limb with a ribbon or string capable of opening said envelope upon the latter having reached the destination it is intended for and after its having been scaled. This system of envelopes carrying inside a preferably autoadhesive ribbon intended to open the envelopes after having been sealed and capable of preventing the same from being torn up, has brought about more than one problem with a view of reaching the construction of a machine capable of mechanically applying on an industrial scale these envelopes carrying inside a ribbon preferably extending along the whole inner fold of the closing limb of said envelope.

The object of the present invention is formed from a machine for mechanically applying a ribbon provided inside envelopes and intended to open the latter when they are sealed.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the machine of the invention showing the sliding upper plane surface;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatical view of the device for applying the ribbon in the initial position;

FIG. 3 shows the same device in the instant of cutting the ribbon;

FIG. 4 lastly shows the device for applying the ribbon in the position subsequent said cut;

FIG. 5 shows in a top perspective view the device for taking off each envelope intended to reach the sliding plane;

FIG. 6 shows in a perspective view a mechanical detail for opening the envelope in the instant in which the limb is only slightly lifted;

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the same mechanical detail in the instant in which the envelope has the limb entirely opened to receive the opening ribbon;

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the device for applying the ribbon with the envelope in the open condition; and

FIG. 9 also shows diagrammatically in perspective the mechanical closing device for the limb of the envelope upon which the ribbon has been applied.

Referring to the drawing, the invention concerns a machine 1 having mechanical-pneumatical device to perform automatically in a cycle involving a determined number of envelopes by removing and placing it on the sliding plane and causing each to move so as to obtain the application inside the envelope itself and preferably in correspondence of the inner fold of the closing limb of such envelope removed.

When observing the machine, there is deduced that the various component devices are arranged on the horizontal plane of said machine 1 and each device obeys to con- 3,472,129 Patented Oct. 14, 1969 trols of known use, provided inside said machine, to-

gether with electric motors, compressors, aspirators and compressed air containers, not shown.

An important feature of the invention resides in that the upper plane of the machine 1 is preferably formed from three separate longitudinal sectors, of which the two lateral sectors 2 and 3 are generally stationary and the central sliding sector 4 having the main task of conveying the envelopes 6 pneumatically removed from the stack on the supporting plane 5 and caused to enter into cycle one after the other.

Another feature, different from the preceding one, resides in that the sliding sector 4, which is no longer divided into three sectors, has a second horizontal plane or adhering device, parallel to the first plane, so that the envelope closed between the two movable surfaces, is held and compelled to perform the various movements.

Another important feature of the invention is formed from the use of a horizontal axis 7 carried on the whole length of the machine by suitably shaped supports 8, so as to maintain in a horizontal position a bar 9 situated slightly lower down than axis 7, the horizontal axis 7 having the function of supporting the arms 10 suitably distanced between each other and in accordance with the task which each of them is intended to accomplish, which arms 10 on the lower part carry the adhering plugs 14, to always maintain the envelopes perfectly adhering during the passage on the sliding plane 4, whereas the bar 9, instead, has the function to lift from the plane the arms 10 and simultaneously also the plugs 14, if necessity should arise. Said arms 10 are free to slide as desired by the operator, so that they are adjustable in accordance with the surfaces of the envelopes and, of course, fastened by means of sleeves 15.

A feature of the invention resides in that the axis 7 and adhering plugs '14 moves in synchronism with the sliding plane 4 holding the envelope therebetween, no matter whether it is formed from only one surface of from two parallel or oblique surfaces, and this movement permits the arms 10 connected to said axis 7 to maintain in a preferably stationary horizontal position the envelope when travelling towards the device 17 to have applied thereto the tearing up ribbon.

As shown in the drawing, the various arms are rotatingly connected to rod 7 by means of sleeves 15.

Another important feature of the invention resides in the use of devices carrying pneumatic tubes 11 conveniently distributed and self-propelled, by means of which the envelopes are caused to adhere so as to be withdrawn and caused to enter the cycle with a view of applying the autoadhesive ribbon which inter alia requires also lifting of the closing limb of each envelope which is thus opened by the device 12, so as to permit the device 17 to apply the ribbon by exactly following the inner fold of said closing limb or any other limb of said envelope.

Lastly, for the invention there is of great importance the device as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 8 of the drawing, by means of which the ribbon is controlled through rollers and pulleys so as to be applied at the inner fold of the closing limb for the envelope.

In effect, as shown in said figures, the device is substantially formed from a plate 17 suitably connected to an operating apparatus by means of a control axis 18 which, according to circumstances, will cause plate 17 to take up different positions which, as compared with that of FIG. 2, will preferably be sloping by 22 in FIG. 3 and then be straightened out (preferably in FIG. 4) to 10 at the instant of performing the cut of the ribbon.

A feature of the operation of plate 17 resides in the use of an arm 19, whose hammer-shaped head 20 is subdivided into two parts, of which the head 22 is stationary and the other is movable, or vice versa, so

to permit ribbon 16 to slide when the head is open (FIGURES 2 and 3) and to be locked when the two parts adhere between each other (FIG. 5), which occurs in the instant in which the ribbon is cut. Another feature of the invention resides in that the ribbon when moving towards the envelope undergoes a traction, preferably through pliers, which allows taking the said ribbon into its position of use without rumpling the envelope.

Plate 17 is provided at the upper part with a ribbonbearing roller 21 starting from a roller 25 carried by a rod 23 conveniently supported by a bearing 24 which terminates with a ribbon-bearing grooved pulley 25.

On the bottom of the plate there are provided two rollers 26 and 27 having preferably a derived motion since the controlled movement is furnished by rollers 28 located below the horizontal plane 30 of the machine 1, the front roller causing roller 27 to rotate by contact and the rear roller causing a last roller 29 to rotate by contact, between which rollers there is moving the open envelope intended to receive the adhesive ribbon. In particular connection with the ribbon to be applied inside the envelope, a feature of the invention resides in the possibility of disposing of a preferably neutral ribbon 16 which, when moving to reach plate 17, receives a layer of adhesive substance on the outer side intended to not get into touch with the various rollers until the envelope 6 is reached. It will be possible for the ribbon in question to be used with the already preexisting adhesive substance without thereby altering the operation of the plate and of the various rollers to perform the fixing operation on the envelopes. The working of the machine according to the present invention is automatic and the envelopes laid on the stack plane 5 are caused to enter into cycle on the sliding plane 4 by means of a pneumatic tube 11 capable of describing a 90 angle from withdrawal to the position in which the envelope is laid down on the plane of the machine.

In the field of operation of the machine, according to the invention, it will be necessary to take into consideration eight different and subsequent questions:

With the first operation the envelope 6 is lifted by the pneumatic tube 11 which adheres outside the closing limb intended to receive the ribbon along the inner fold, the pneumatic arm performing a displacement of 90.

With the second operation the envelope 6 is dragged along so as to perform the first forward movement on the plane of the machine and it is caused to undergo perforation preferably in the centre of the closing fold so as to provide a gripping point for the addressee when opening the envelope, said perforating device bearing the reference numeral 33. With the third operation the envelope, which has already entered the cycle and is moving on the sliding plane, is dragged along with the limb slightly lifted, preferably by a suitable pneumatic arm 11 to prevent the first plug 14 to push down, besides the envelope, also the closing limb intended to be entirely open.

With the fourth operation there just takes place the complete opening of said limb, whereas the envelope approaches the device for applying the ribbon along the inner fold of the closing limb for said envelope. The device 12, FIG. 6, is provided on the stationary side part of the plane of the machine.

With the fifth operation the envelope with the completely open limb and always dragged along on the sliding plane 4 of the machine, is caused to undergo the application of the ribbon in its turn dragged along by the pincers 36, as well as the cut of said ribbon by means of mechanically operated scissors, whereas with the sixth operation the advertising label is applied inside the open envelopes so as to coincide with the perforation.

With the seventh operation the envelope which is always dragged along towards the bottom of the machine, is caused to undergo the closure of the limb with the ribbon arranged inside the fold and by the use of a mechanical device 13, FIG. 9, disposed in a direction opposite that of the device 12 which provides to open the limb as stated in the fourth operation. Lastly with the eighth operation the completely folded up envelope, FIG. 9, reaches the end of the surface of the machine and owing to the thrust of the sliding plane it drops on the gathering container conveniently arranged at the opposite end of the plane of machine 1.

As already stated above, a particular importance represents the fifth operation which refers to the application of the adhesive ribbon along the inner fold of every envelope. Ribbon 16 reaching from its suitably arranged coil enters pulley 25 carried by arm 23 and rotatably secured in 24, extends to pulley 21 through the head 20 and 22 to reach the base roller 27 after having engaged roller 26 as shown in FIG. 3.

At this point the ribbon which, on the other hand is engaged by an angle guide 31, is pushed towards the roller 27 by the roller 28 and roller 29 is maintained in movement by the second roller 28 and when the ribbon enters into contact with the envelope which slides on plane 30, it is lifted by the plate which preferably drops by 22 to prepare the ribbon to undergo the cut in point 32. This mechanical feature, depending upon the lifting movement of roller 27, is provided to permit the ribbon to dispose of about 2 cm. length so as to complete the extension of the fold of the envelope. Upon having obtained this and immediately before the arrival of the envelope, which follows on plate 17, the hammershaped head 20 is closed so as to enclose the ribbon which, upon being cut and without bearing points, would have the tendency of sliding in the opposite direction. Owing to this locking action, the plate is moved back into an intermediate position at 10' (FIG. 5) whereupon, after having reached the vertical position of FIG. 3, the roller 27 is lowered so as to take advantage of the thrust of base roller 28 by opening the hammer-shaped head 20 and by restoring the same function as that provided for applying the ribbon on the incoming envelope, and

so on.

In FIG. 1, on the front part of the machine, the envelopes are kept back on base 5 by means of a device 34 provided with a handle which maintains constant the plane of said envelopes to be withdrawn from the pneumatic tube 11. Moreover, in FIG. 1 the control device for operating the machine is shown by the reference numeral 35.

The advantages as achieved by the practical embodiment of the machine according to the invention have been disclosed in the foregoing specification.

Since with a machine of the kind disclosed it is possible to prepare in a continuous manner and in series a considerable number of envelopes carrying the adhesive ribbon along the inner fold of the closing limb or any other limb, as well as to secure the perforation if the engagement side, and this device permits to be adapted to the different sizes of the envelopes to be treated, there is apparent the great and actual utility to be assigned to the invention. Whatever hand-operated means trying to achieve this purpose would never be in a position to satisfy the requirements of an adequate production and the demand of the market made on an industrial scale.

The invention has been disclosed and illustrated merely by way of example, without any limitation. Of course, it may undergo all such modifications as might be suggested by the art or the practical embodiment without thereby departing from the spirit of said invention.

I claim:

1. A machine for applying adhesive tape to the flap of an envelope, having a tape applicator comprising a tape conveyor means, a support pivotable about a point above said envelope, and having a first, tape applying position, with a tape guide pulley mounted on said support for frictionally engaging an envelope fed past said tape applicator by said conveyor means, and applying thereto the said adhesive tape, and thereafter tape cutting position, having cutting means, said pulley being remote from said conveyor means and the tape cut by cutting means.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support includes means for locking said adhesive tape when the support is in its second, tape cutting position.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support includes a plurality of tape guide pulleys.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tape applicator is mounted on an upper horizontal plane of said machine, said horizontal plane comprising a sector acting as a slide surface for envelopes conveyed along said sector.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein, above said upper horizontal plane, are provided gripping means adapted to convey envelopes to spaced positions along said sector.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 5, including pneumatic feeding means for continuously feeding individual envelopes from a stack to the slide surface.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 6, including perforation means located between said pneumatic means and said tape applicator, and adapted to perforate the envelope on said sector centrally of the edge of said flap.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 7, including means intermediate said perforation means and said tape applicator adapted to open said flap.

9. A machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein said means adapted to open said flap includes a pneumatic lifter capable of partially opening said envelope flap, and a deflector plate capable of completely opening the partially opened envelope flap.

10. A machine as claimed in claim 9, including means for closing the flap of the envelope after the tape has been applied thereto.

11. A machine as claimed in claim 10, wherein said flap closing means comprises a deflector plate.

12. A machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said locking means, when the support is in its second, tape cutting position, locks the tape immediately after the tape is cut.

13. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tape support is adapted to apply to the envelope a tape of predetermined length.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS BERNARD STICKNEY, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 93-61; 156522 

